Method and system for providing VOD services in a digital cable TV network

Abstract

A method and system for providing video-on-demand services are provided. The method of providing video-on-demand (VOD) services comprises transmitting service information to a set-top box via an out-of-band channel, receiving location and identification information of the set top box via the out-of-band channel, receiving a VOD service request from the set-top box via the out-of-band channel, and providing the set-top box with the requested content via an in-band channel with reference to the location and identification information of the set-top box.

1. A method of providing video-on-demand (VOD) services comprising:
 transmitting service information from a VOD service system to a set-top box via an out-of-band channel; 
 transmitting location and identification information from the set top box to the VOD service system via the out-of-band channel after the transmitting of service information; 
 transmitting a VOD service request from the set-top box to the VOD service system via the out-of-band channel after transmitting location and identification information of the set top box; and 
 providing the requested content from the VOD service system to a distribution system via an in-band channel with reference to the location and identification information of the set-top box, and providing the requested content from the distribution system to the set-top box via the in-band channel, 
 wherein the location information of the set-top box is a transport identifier (TSID), 
 the location information, is stored in a TSID table, and 
 the transmitting location and identification information is generated by extracting VOD transport data by analyzing a network interface table (NIT) and a virtual channel table (VCT) contained in the service information; scanning the VOD transport data to obtain a program association table (PAT); and extracting TSIDs from the PAT. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 storing the location and identification information of the set-top box. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of providing the set-top box with the requested content comprises:
 authenticating the set-top box; 
 verifying the location and identification information of the set-top box; and 
 providing the requested content to the set-top box. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the content is scrambled content. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identification information of the set-top box is a media access control (MAC). 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the authenticating is to use a media access control(MAC). 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the authenticating using a user name and a password. 
     
     
       8. A method of using VOD services comprising:
 enabling a set-top box to receive service information via an out-of-band channel; 
 obtaining location information from the service information and transmitting by the set-top box the obtained location information and identification information of the set-top box to a VOD service system via the out-of-band channel after the set-top box receives service information; 
 enabling the set-top box to issue a VOD service request to the VOD service system via the out-of-band channel after transmitting location and identification information of the set top box; and 
 enabling the set-top box to receive content via an in-band channel, comprising transmitting the content and the location and identification information from the VOD service system to a distribution system, and transmitting the content from the distribution system to the set-top box, 
 wherein the location information is a transport identifier (TSID), and 
 transmitting the obtained location and identification information of the set-top box comprises
 extracting VOD transport data by analyzing a network interface table(NIT) and a virtual channel table(VCT) contained in the service information; 
 scanning the VOD transport data to obtain a program association table (PAT); 
 extracting TSIDs from the PAT; and 
 transmitting a list of the extracted TSIDs to the VOD service system. 
 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the identification information of the set-top box is a media access control (MAC). 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the received content is scrambled content. 
     
     
       11. A VOD service system comprising:
 a VOD server, which provides selected content in response to a VOD service request; 
 a subscriber manager that manages subscriber-related information; and 
 a transmission unit that transmits the selected content to a subscriber; 
 wherein the transmission unit transmits service information from the VOD server to a set-top box via an out-of-band channel the set top box transmits its location and identification information to the VOD system service, the subscriber manager stores location and identification information transmitted by the set-top box and received via the out-of-band channel after the transmission of service information, the VOD server receives a VOD service request issued by the set-top box and provides the requested content to the set-top box after receiving location and identification information of the set top box, the transmission unit provides the requested content to a distribution system via an in-band channel with reference to the location and identification information of the set-top box, and the distribution system provides the requested content to the set-top box via the in-band channel, 
 the location information is a transport identifier(TSID) , 
 the location information is stored in a TSID table, and 
 the transmitted location and identification information is generated by extracting VOD transport data by analyzing a network interface table (NIT) and a virtual channel table (VCT) contained in the service information; scanning the VOD transport data to obtain a program association table (PAT); and extracting TSIDs from the PAT. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the identification information of the set-top box is a media access control (MAC). 
     
     
       13. The VOD service system of  claim 11 , wherein the subscriber manager further executes a function of authenticating the set-top box. 
     
     
       14. The VOD service system of  claim 11 , further comprising a conditional access system protects content by a predetermined method. 
     
     
       15. A non-transitory recording medium having a computer readable program recorded therein, the program for executing a method of providing video-on-demand (VOD) services, the method comprising:
 transmitting service information from a VOD service system to a set-top box via an out-of-band channel; 
 receiving location and identification information transmitted by the set top box via the out-of-band channel after the transmitting of service information; 
 receiving a VOD service request from the set-top box via the out-of-band channel after receiving location and identification information of the set top box; 
 providing a distribution system with the requested content via an in-band channel with reference to the location and identification information of the set-top box; and 
 providing the set-top box with the content from the distribution system via the in-band channel, 
 wherein the location information of the set-top box is a transport identifier (TSID), 
 the location information is stored in a TSID table, and 
 the transmitting location and identification information is generated by extracting VOD transport data by analyzing a network interface table (NIT) and a virtual channel table (VCT) contained in the service information; scanning the VOD transport data to obtain a program association table (PAT); and extracting TSIDs from the PAT. 
 
     
     
       16. A non-transitory recording medium having a computer readable program recorded therein, the program for executing a method of using VOD services comprising:
 enabling a set-top box to receive service information from a VOD service system via an out-of-band channel; 
 obtaining location information from the service information; 
 transmitting, by the set-top box, the obtained location information and identification information of the set-top box to the VOD service system via the out-of-band channel; 
 enabling the set-top box to issue a VOD service request to the VOD service system via the out-of-band channel after transmitting location and identification information of the set top box; 
 enabling a distribution system to receive content and the location and identification information via an in-band channel; and 
 enabling the set-top box to receive the content from the distribution system via the in-band channel, 
 wherein the location information is a transport identifier (TSID), and 
 transmitting the obtained location and identification information of the set-top box comprises
 extracting VOD transport data by analyzing a network interface table(NIT) and a virtual channel table(VCT) contained in the service information; 
 scanning the VOD transport data to obtain a program association table (PAT); 
 extracting TSIDs from the PAT; and 
 transmitting a list of the extracted TSIDs to the VOD service system.